[MellowYellow]

Hi everyone.

My four girls are 13 weeks old now and are just coming to the bottom of a sack of chick crumb.

All the advice I read tells me they now need to progress to growers.

Can someone tell me the difference between growers and layers pellets as I'm not 100% sure which one to go for.  I realise they should have been on growers about 6 weeks ago but I couldn't bring myself to throw half a sack of chick crumb away so now I'm not sure whether to skip the growers and  introduce the layers. 


Also, can anyone explain what it is about my kitchen that chickens love.............they have the run of the garden but I seem to spend most of my time chasing them out of the kitchen       

[joyfull]

growers next, layers is not the correct formulation for their needs. You can buy it in 5 kgs bags in some brands but they will need to be on growers for quite a few weeks so you may nedd more than one 5kg bag.

[arugula]

Also, can anyone explain what it is about my kitchen that chickens love.............they have the run of the garden but I seem to spend most of my time chasing them out of the kitchen       

But everyone's garden chickens do that! Its quite normal behaviour.

[MellowYellow]

Also, can anyone explain what it is about my kitchen that chickens love.............they have the run of the garden but I seem to spend most of my time chasing them out of the kitchen       

But everyone's garden chickens do that! Its quite normal behaviour.

BUT WHY!!!!!!!!!              

[MellowYellow]

growers next, layers is not the correct formulation for their needs. You can buy it in 5 kgs bags in some brands but they will need to be on growers for quite a few weeks so you may nedd more than one 5kg bag.

Thanks Joyfull,  I'll buy a sack of growers tomorrow and start mixing it in with their chick crumb.

[salt and pepper]

i need to double check this too,  as when i went for my feed the supplier had run out of growers but said if i mix half and half layers pellets and mixed corn, that would be ok and the corn would put the weight on the chicks, he said thats what he did with his chicks and they've been ok.

So thats what mine have been on since i got them,  is that ok or not ? 

my chicks are about 15 weeks

thank you

[Lindeggs]

In part it depends on the breed you have.  My heritage breeds (Light Sussex, Barred Plymouth Rock, Barnevelder) are all late starters, so I could have fed them on growers feed until they were 20-something weeks old with no problems.

If yours are hybrid laying hens, they will be early layers so you will need to start them on layers rations earlier than that.

Just a couple of extra thoughts:

• Is your grower feed medicated?  If so there will be a with-holding period with the eggs, so if they are still eating this when they start laying you will need to throw out their first eggs!  :blink:
• Always make sure you have oyster shell grit available on demand (don't mix it with their food).  One of the main differences between growers and layers feed is the level of calcium.  One of my chickens started eating a lot of shell grit earlier than the others (while they were still on growers feed) and she was the first one to start laying,so I think they know when they need extra calcium in their diet and will set out to find it themselves.

[Casey76]

Hi S&P, corn is good for meat birds... but it makes layers fat, and the last thing you want is a fat layer as it makes it more difficult to lay eggs.

A proprietary grower pellet is the best thing for chickens.  It has a lower protein %age than chick crumbs, but still higher than layers, so the chicks will still grow well, without getting fat.

At 15 weeks (if they are laying hybrids) they are just about POL, but you can feed a grower pellet until they lay their first egg if all of your chickens are the same age.  If you also have laying hens at the moment, it will do the 15weekers no harm to start mixing layers pellets in with the chick crumbs now

[MellowYellow]

In part it depends on the breed you have. 

If yours are hybrid laying hens, they will be early layers so you will need to start them on layers rations earlier than that.

Hi Lindeggs

Now I'm confused again.  Mine are 13 week old hybrids so should I go straight to layers - how can I tell when they are POL is it something to do with the brightness of their combs, mine are growing but still quite pale?

Also I have noticed that they are beginning to peck at the crushed cockle shells that I have put out for them.

[Kenilworth]

In part it depends on the breed you have. 

If yours are hybrid laying hens, they will be early layers so you will need to start them on layers rations earlier than that.

Hi Lindeggs

Now I'm confused again.  Mine are 13 week old hybrids so should I go straight to layers - how can I tell when they are POL is it something to do with the brightness of their combs, mine are growing but still quite pale?

Also I have noticed that they are beginning to peck at the crushed cockle shells that I have put out for them.

 I would just put them on growers till they start laying. Then do a gradual change over, no real harm will occur. A lot of people (myself included) will put their hens back onto growers for example duriing the winter months to give them a little boost.

[arugula]

But everyone's garden chickens do that! Its quite normal behaviour.

BUT WHY!!!!!!!!!              

Because they can. Or perhaps for the company....

[MellowYellow]

Thanks Kenilworth.

I read in Lindeggs post that if they start to lay while on growers, I will need to throw some of the eggs away.  Does that mean the eggs are not edible from chickens on grower?

[Casey76]

If the growers contains ACS (a coccidiostat), then there is a 7 day with drawal period.  If your growers doesn't contain ACS, then it's not an issue.

[MellowYellow]

Thanks Casey   

[salt and pepper]

Sorry mellow yellow for gate crashing, good question as i'm new i'm trying do do every thing right too 
thanks for the answers.

Not sure when mine will come into lay there Rhode Island Red Bantams ?